Carbonated beverage



Patented Feb. v 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CARBONATED BEVERAGEdelphia, Pa.

No Drawilm.

Application November 14, 1935,

Serial No. 49,858

7 Claims.

My invention relates to carbonated beverages and more particularly to ameans of carbonating liquids by the use of a mixture of a carbonateand/or bicarbonate with an acid, said mixture being compressed into asingle tablet as hereinafter described.

For many years one of the means of carbonating beverages has consistedin adding powders of various compositions to the liquid to becarbonated. This method has a very serious vdisadvantage in that theevolution of the gas at or near the surface of the liquid is so rapidthat much of the gas escapes before it has had time to carbonate theliquid. Another disadvantage of such powders is that even such gas asdoes not escape at once is evolved in the upper portion of the liquidbody and as a result mechanical means must be resorted to in order toachieve carbonation in the lower levels. As a result, beverages socarbonated have a tendency to be flat and to lose what little life theydo have in a relatively short time. I have discovered that thesedisadvantages may be obviated by producing the carbon dioxide in thelower levels of the liquid. Carbon dioxide, being a gas, rises as soonas it is evolved and in so doing it is for the most part used up in theformation of carbonic acid by combining with the water on the way to thesurface. In order to produce carbon dioxide in the lower levels I use atablet which is heavier than an equal volume of water. This tablet is soconstructed that it stays at the bottom of the liquid during all stagesof its decomposition but of course I may vary the level at which itdecomposes by mechanical means.

Another difliculty in the use of these carbonating powders is theproblem of controlling the speed with which they react. If. the reactiongoes too rapidly ortoo slowly the resultant carbonation isunsatisfactory; thus the control of the reaction time is of primeimportance.

I have also discovered that when a tablet is used, the rate of evolutionof carbon dioxide is a. factor of great importance in the ultimatecarbonation. If this evolution is too rapid, one of the disadvantagesinherent in the old use of powders is present; that is to say, in thetoo rapid evolution there is too great an escape of carbon dioxide. Onthe other hand, if the evolution of gas is too slow, the result isunsatisfactory because the beverage has had time to lose some of itslife in the time during which the tablet is decomposing. I havediscovered a method hereinafter described of controlling this reactiontime and I have thus made it feasible to use a single tablet for thecarbonation of liquids.

Therefore, one object of my invention is to provide a means wherebycarbonic acid and carbon dioxide can. be produced in a beverage bydissolving a single tablet therein. A further object is the productionof a carbonating tablet containing the above ingredients, said tabletbeing stable when dry and yielding carbonic acid and carbon dioxide whenin contact with water. A further object is the production of acarbonating means which is controlled as to its reaction time.

In carrying out my invention I use alkali or alkaline earth, carbonatesor bicarbonates, either alone or mixed. I prefer to use sodiumbicarbonate because of its cheapness and uniform action. As an acid Iuse organic alpha-hydroxy acids innocuous to health such as malic acid,

- citric acid or tartaric acid, either alone or inadmixture. However, inplace of. these organic acids or in addition thereto I may use inorganichydrogen ion producing substances such as the alkali bisulphates. Iprefer to use sodium or potassium bisulphate. The acid phosphates suchas monosodium phosphate may also be used.

As a sweetening agent I use saccharine. As flavoring'ingredients I usethe usual dry extracts or oils and for coloring I use the vegetablecolors which are suitable for human consumption.

, The following is a description of one method of preparing mycarbonating tablets. I use the following ingredients in the amountsstated:

Sodium bicarbonate gram 1 Tartaric acid do.. 1 Saccharine do 0.05 Flavorcc 0.02 Color q. 5. ad.

The sodium bicarbonate and the saccharine are ground together in amortar to which the flavoring and coloring are then added. The tartaricacid is thoroughly ground in a separate mortar. The material in thesetwo mortars is then transferred to the die of a press. I have discoveredthat the reaction time referred to above can be controlled by varyingthe manner in which the materials are put intothe die. For a tablet ofvery long reaction time, the substances are thoroughly mixed prior toplacing them in the die. In order to get a tablet having a reaction timeof sixty seconds or less, I have found that it is necessary to introducethe bicarbonate and the acid alternately into the die in small amounts.The amount of each alternate addition to the die has a definite efiecton the reaction time of the completed tablet. I have found that the bestresults are obtained when the bicarbonate and acid are put into the diein about a total of sixteen portions. This corresponds to an addition ofone eighth of a gram of bicarbonate followed by one eighth of a gram ofacid, and so on until all of the material has been introduced into thedie. However, I may vary these amounts for either or both substances.Pressure is then applied in an amount suflicient to give a firm tablet.

In addition to accomplishing better carbonation than the powdersheretofore used, my tablet has certain practical advantages. Due to itssize and form, my tablet is much easier to handle and transport and itwill be easier to market than a bulky powder. It is also very mucheasier to use. The tablet is simply dropped into the liquid to becarbonated and no further attention need be given it. At the end of thepredetermined carbonation period the beverage is carbonated and readyfor consumption.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A carbonating tablet the essential ingredients of which are an alkalicarbonate and an acid juxtaposed in alternate layers, the carbonate andthe acid being intimately associated at the juncture of the layers andnot elsewhere and the alternate layers being exposed at their edges.

2. A carbonating tablet the essential ingredients of which are an alkalibicarbonate and an acid juxtaposed in alternate layers, the bicarbonateand the acid being intimately associated at the juncture of the layersand not elsewhere and the alternate layers being exposed at their edges.

3. A carbonating tablet the essential ingredients of which are an alkalicarbonate and an organic alpha hydroxy acid juxtaposed in alternatelayers, the carbonate and the acid being intimately associated at thejuncture of the layers and not elsewhere and the alternate layers beingexposed at their edges.

4. A carbonating tablet the essential ingredients of which are an alkalicarbonate and tartaric acid juxtaposed in alternate layers, thecarbonate and the acid being intimately associated at the juncture ofthe layers and not elsewhere and the alternate layers being exposed attheir edges.

5. A carbonating tablet the essential ingredients of which are an alkalibicarbonate and an organic alpha hydroxy: acid juxtaposed in alternatelayers, the bicarbonate and the acid being intimately associated at thejuncture of the layers and not elsewhere and the alternate layers beingexposed at their edges.

6. A carbonating tablet the essential ingredients of which are an alkalibicarbonate and tartaric acid juxtaposed in alternate layers, thebicarbonate and the acid being intimately associated at the juncture ofthe layers and not elsewhere and the alternate layers being exposed attheir edges.

7. A carbonating tablet the essential ingredients of which are sodiumbicarbonate and tartaric acid juxtaposed in alternate layers, thebicarbonate and the acid being intimately associated at the juncture ofthe layers and not elsewhere and the alternate layers being exposed attheir edges.

CLARENCE EDWARD BECK.

